Biplane fighter aces

Soviet Union

Leytenant Vasiliy Mikhailovich Kuroedov

In June 1941, Kuroedov was flight commander of the 96 Otdelnaya Aviaeskadrilya (OIAE - independent squadron). The commanding officer of this unit was Kapitan Alexandr Korobitzin. The unit was based on Ismail airfield and equipped three Polikarpov I-153s and fourteen Polikarpov I-152s.

During the Axis attack on Soviet Union in June 1941, Rumanian forces attacked the part of the front that included Izmail.

At 14.00 on 22 June 1941, fourteen I-152s and three I-153s of 96 OIAE attacked fourteen Romanian PZL P.37s of Escadrila 76 and 77 over the Danube in southern Bessarabia, claiming five of them shoot down (including two by I-152s).
The 96 OIAE commander Kapitan Alexandr Korobitzin and Leytenant Mikhail Maksimov (whose victim fell into the Danube River) each claimed a destroyed. A shared was claimed by the pilots in Maksimov's flight. One shared was claimed by Starshiy Leytenant Lavrentiy Borisov, deputy commander of 96 OIAE, and Leytenant Nikolai Cherkasov. The fifth, finally, was claimed as a shared between Leytenant Kuroedov (flight commander), Leytenant Leonid Khomutov, Leytenant Alexandr Evstigneev and Leytenant Shota Gogmachadze.
The P.37s were escorted by six Rumanian Hurricane Is, which claimed four victories. The Soviet forces, however, didn't sustain any losses but in the combat was Leytenant Boris Maslov slightly wounded in left shoulder while flying an I-152s.
Three of their victories were later confirmed to the 96 OAE pilots. Fortelor Aeriene Regal ale România (FARR - Royal Romanian Air Force) lost 11 planes this day but only two of them were P.37 Los and these were claimed to have been shot down by anti-aircraft fire.

Kuroedov was killed in action near Perekop, Crimea, in the autumn of 1941.

At the time of his death, Kuroedov was credited with 1 shared biplane victory.

Claims:

Kill no.

Date

Time

Number

Type

Result

Plane type

Serial no.

Locality

Unit

1941

22/06/41

14:00-

1/4

Romanian bomber (a)

Shared destroyed

I-152 (b)

Danube River area

96 OIAE

Biplane victories: 1 shared destroyed. TOTAL: 1 shared destroyed.
(a) Claimed in combat with PZL P.34s of Escadrila 76 and 77. 96 OIAE claimed five victories but only two Rumanian aircraft were lost and theses were claimed to have been shot down by AA fire.
(b) These victories may have been claimed while flying I-152s or I-153s.